Stamping equipment for molding coal



March 3, 1942. H. KOPPERS 2,275,393

STAMPING EQUIPMENT FOR MOLDING COAL Filed Nov. 19, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1,

if 1! Fi .l 40 J 24 March 3, 1942. H. KOPPERS STAMPING EQUIPMENT FOR MOLDING COAL Filed Nov. 19, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 3, 1942 STAMPING EQUIPMENT FOR MOLDING COAL Heinrich Koppers, Essen, Germany, assignor, by mesne assignments, to Koppers Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Delaware Application November 19, 1938, Serial No. 241,388 In Germany November 20, 1937 2 Claims.

The present invention relates to stamping equipment for preparing compact coal bodies in the shape of the coking chambers for the production of gas'and coke, and more particularly to equipment for such purpose which are provided with means acting, for distributing the coal to be compressed into the mold, along the whole length of the stamping equipment.

It is well known that in order to produce a good coke from certain kinds of caking coals the coal must be carbonized in a state of higher density than is obtainable by the usual manner and means for top charging of the coking chambers or retorts with finely divided caking coal. An approved method of increasing the density of the coal mass to be carbonized consists in pressing or stamping the coal outside the coking chamber-in a mold having the size of the coking chamber, and then charging the molded coal cake thus produced into the coking chamber or coking retort in a suitable manner. For instance with horizontal coke ovens, the molded coal cake is pushed from the mold into the coking chamber through one of the side doors thereof.

The molded coal cake to be delivered into the coking chamber must have a rather high strength so that it does not collapse when it is charged from the mold into the chamber. It is evident that the strength of the molded coal cake must be greater the higher (taller) the cake. As coking chambers of modern coke ovens are of a considerable height and are moreover comparatively narrow, it is rather diflicult to produce sufficiently strong molded coal cakes suitable for such ovens.

The main object of my invention now is to provide such improvements in stamping equipment for making compact molded coal cakes which will facilitate the manufacture of dense and strong molded coal cakes, and which render it possible to charge the coking ovens especially horizontal chamber ovens of large height and less width with such compressed molded coal cakes.

I have realised that the desired strength of the coal cakes may be insured by compressing the coal in the mold in a manner as uniform as possible. In order to effect the compression of the coal in the stamping mold, stampers are generally used which are arranged on a car moving forward and backward over the stamping mold. I have found that it is important that the coal be slowly and uniformly charged into the mold while operating the stampers, so that the individual stampers have to compress only a comparatively small quantity of coal ateach time during the molding procedure. If too much coal is charged into the stamping mold at once, the stampers cannot act upon the coal mass deep enough 50 that zones of higher porosity will result which reduce the strength of the cake considerably. If on the other hand the coal is charged into the stamping mold too slowly it is often compressed too much and a splintery coke of minor quality is produced from such overstamped coal mass.

Now, my invention consists in charging the coal to be compressed into the stamping mold by special feeding devices which act over the whole length of the stamping mold, and Which are able to deliver at all times during the stamping procedure an exactly measured and adjustable quantity of coal to any point of the stamping mold.

My new feeding device for the coal to be stamped is characterised principally by having one or several movable walls arranged at the outlet of the coal storage bunker situated beside and laterally above the stamping mold, said outlet extending over the whole length of the stamping mold. These movable walls reciprocate transversally of the longitudinal axis of the stamping mold and push a definite quantity of coal from the storage bunker at each reciprocation, with a periodical closing of the bunker outlet to an inclined surface leading to the stamping mold. The coal thus delivered then slides into the stamping mold.

My novel coal feeding device preferably comprises frame like members which are open at the top so that it is possible for thecoal to enter the hollow space of each member if the same lie underneath the outlet of the coal storage bunker. These members have on their rear side an elongation extending substantially parallel to the direction of movement of the member. This elongation closes the outlet of the coal storage bunker if the member moves in the direction towards the stamping mold.

Furthermore my invention comprehends supporting the individual frame like members on sliding rails which are arranged in such a manner that they are kept outside the path of flow of the coal leaving the coal storage bunker.

Finally my invention still further comprises a new mode of drive of the individual feeding members.

. With the above and other objects and features of my present invention in view. I will now de- This reciprocating movement of the frames 9 is repeated until sumcient coal has been filled into the stamping mold and the coal cake is finished.

The rate at which the coal is delivered into the stamping mold during the stamping procedure by means of the reciprocating feeding frames 9 substantially may be regulated by varying the reciprocating movements of the frames 9. Moreover it is possible to adjust the walls of the frames relative to one another so as to vary the volume of the hollow space and thus the walls I and of which one or both are movably arranged in order to be able to enlarge the stamping mold to a certain eXtent,pwhen the sides by walls 3 and below by the movable bottom wall 4.

Above the stamping mold there are arranged one or several Stampers 5 which, injthe well known manner, are carried by a car it or the like which may be moved along the length of the mold in the longitudinal direction of the stamping mold, said car or the like being only partly illustrated on the drawings for clearness of illustration of the novel features of the invention.

. At the side and above the stamping mold is situated a cold storage bunker 6 for the caking coal to be stamped. The storage bunker 6 opens below towards a slightly inclined surface I to which is connected a steeper inclined surface 8 which leads to the mold and terminates somewhat above the side wall I. coal storage bunker 5, and the surfaces"! and 8 extend preferably over the whole length of the mold.

As may be seen from Fig. 1 a space is'provided between the lower edge of the outlet of the storl age bunker 6 and the inclined surface I in'which a row of movable feeding members is arranged. These feeding members consist of rectangular frames 9 and form a hollow space 10 into which The outlet of the quantity of coal which is delivered into the stamping mold On each reciprocating movement of the frames 9.

the coal from the storage bunker' fi'mayenter'.

when the frame 9 is in the position as illustrated in Fig. 1. To the rear wall of the frame 9- is connected an elongation l i'which essentially extends parallel to the inclined surface 1 and which lies on the level of the lower edge l2 'oft'he's'torage bunker 6 forming a bunker outlet shut-off valve. The frames 9 may be moved over the surface I by means of an arrangement, more fully described hereinafter, in the direction of. the

arrow l3. With this movement, the surface like elongation shut-off plate or valve ll comes within the range of the lower opening 'of the storage bunker 6 and closes it. Simultaneously the coal lying in the hollow space ID is moved over the surface I in the direction towards'the inclined surface 3. In the final position the'hollow space If! of the frames 9'is situated fully above the inclined surface 8 so'that all the'coal contained in the frames may fall onto 1 the inclined surface 8 and finally slides into the" stamping mold. During this moment, the outlet-of the storage bunker 6 is closed by the elongation or shut-off valve l i of the frames 9.

As soon as the coal contained in the hollow space Id of the frames 9 is discharged onto the inclined surface 8, the frames are drawn back in the opposite direction of the arrow I3 until they again take the position shown in Fig. 1, whereupon the hollow space 10 is filled afresh with'cakin'g coal fromthe stor'age"bunk'er"6.

Preferably a multitude of independent feeding frames 9 are arranged over the whole length of the stamping mold and of the outlet of the storage bunker 6 respectively. For this purpose, cross webs M are provided at the lower end of the storage bunker 6. The webs M are hollow as shown in Fig. 2. Inside the webs Hi arearranged guide rods 15 which aresupported at 16 and I7 on the structural framework of the apparatus. On the guide rods I5 are slidably mounted shoes 18 to which are fastened the front end of the frames 9 and the elongation shut-off valve H (see Fig. 1'). The frames 9 and the elongation shut-off valve ;l l are-therefore, carried by the guide rods I5 so that the lower edge of the frames 9 slidably touches the inclined surface I.

For the reciprocating movement of the frames 9 there is arranged a crank drive for each frame, said drive consisting of a pair of cranks-29 and the connecting rods 2|. The crank shaft 22 is arranged in bearings 23 supported On'the load supporting body parts of the apparatus and connected with a toothed wheel 24 upon which acts a pinion 25. As will be seen from Fig. 3, -a toothed wheel 24 and a pinion-25 are provided for each feeding framed. Allthe pinions for the feeding devices of the apparatus are mounted on a common drive shaft 26 which'is arranged in bearings 21 of the load supporting framework, and which is connected with a' driving motor (not shown on the drawings). The-shaftZB is rotated continuously or periodically an'd'correspending to the movementof-the shaft'26 the crank drives of the feeding frames are operated. In orderto be able to vary the quantity of coal supplied from the individual feeding frames 9 into the mold it is necessary to alter the length of 'the individual cranksfflil. Therefore the cranks '29 'are' fitted with slots -28-in"whioh 'the bearings 29 for the connecting rods=2| are movably arranged and may be fixed in the desired position. 'Thelength of the connecting. rods 2| 'is variable. Thus by altering the length 'ofthe cranks?!) and of the connecting rods '2l 'it'isp'ossible to adjust the length of back travel 'of the reciprocating feeding members I in the "desired way. 7

Instead of using frame like members 9 for feeding the coal it is also possible to connect the shutoff valve part I I only to-a simple transverse-wall which 'c'or're's'ponds to the rear wall of the frames 9. In the above mode of construction," the coal accumulates on the surface 7 when the part II and the wall connected therewith are' withdrawn. By a suitable arrangement of'a front-wall part operable by the part I I the coalfrom' the lower opening of the bunker 'fi can bethusprevented "vice.

In order to be able to discharge the coal from the bunker 6 into the stamping mold upon a failure of the drive of the feeding devices, the front wall 30 of the bunker 6 may be swung round on the hinge at axis 3| towards the surface 8, for instance by means of adjusting rods 32, which have notches 33 for engagement if desired with a restraining edge 34 firmly attached to the main body of the apparatus. The adjusting rods 32 are pivotally connected with the wall 30 at point Due to the fact that the wall 30 may thus be moved to the front in the direction of the arrow 36 the coal may fall immediately out of the bunker 6 onto the inclined surface 8. Within the range of the inclined surface 8 are placed sector like stops 31 which can be moved round 38 and which may be brought into the position shown in the dot and dash lines 39. In this position the stops prevent the coal from sliding over the inclined surface 8 into the stamping mold. The stops 31 may be operated by hand so as to charge the coal into the stamping mold as desired.

I have now above described my present invention on the lines of a preferred embodiment thereof but my invention is not limited in all its aspects to the mode of carrying it out as described and shown, the invention may be variously embodied within, the scope of the following claims.

I claim: v

1. Stamping equipment for preparing compact molded coal cakes in the shape of the coking chambers or retorts in which the coal is to be carbonized for the production of gas and coke, 1

comprising an elongated molding chamber for receiving the coking coal to be stamped, a coal bunker arranged above said chamber and provided with an outlet extending over the length of said chamber, stamping means for stamping in the chamber coal fed thereto from said bunker outlet, and volumetric measuring feeding means for moving the coal leaving the outlet of said coal bunker in a direction towards said chamber, said volumetric measuring feed means comprising a series of individually adjustable measuring feed elements arranged along the bunker outlet over the whole length of the molding chamber and each adapted for advancing an adjustably measured quantity of coal from the bunker outlet to the chamber independently of the measure fed by the others and in such a manner as to close the outlet of said bunker on movement of a measure of coal towards the chamber.

2. Stamping equipment for preparing compact molded coal cakes in the shape of the coking chambers or retorts in which the coal is to be carbonized for the production of gas and coke, comprising an elongated mold for receiving the coking coal to be stamped, a coal bunker arranged above and beside said mold and provided with an outlet means extending over the length of said mold, stamping means for stamping in the mold coal fed thereto from said bunker outlet, and volumetric measuring means for moving the coal leaving the outlet of said coal bunker in measured volumetric quantities in a direction transversally to the longitudinal axis of said mold, said outlet means comprising a plurality of bunker outlets arranged along the whole length of the mold and said volumetric measuring means comprising a series of separate feed elements comprising reciprocating walls beneath the respective outlets, and each connected with a separate plate for cutting off and advancing a measured quantity of coal from the bunker outlet to the mold, said feed elements being separately adjustable independently of each other for adjusting the measure of coal fed at different regions along the whole length of the mold by the respective elements, and said plates being arranged to close their respective bunker outlets on movement of the volumetric measuring means towards the mold.

HEINRICH KOPPERS. 

